Mark Shuttleworth is trying to entice OpenSUSE developers to join Ubuntu. "Novell's decision to go to great lengths to circumvent the patent framework clearly articulated in the GPL has sent shockwaves through the community. If you are an OpenSUSE developer who is concerned about the long term consequences of this pact, you may be interested in some of the events happening next week as part of the Ubuntu Open Week."

Trademark, Copyright, Patent... They are not the same thing or even close. In the US, they are all governed by very different laws. The Novell <---> Microsoft deal was a patent covenant which basicly says, "Hey, we won't sue your customers so long as you dont break this agreement."

A trademark is on a name. Would you like it if I signed up for other 'nix/computer websites and started posting as NotParker? That is what a trademark is for.

So the way you see it, contributing programs for the benefit of a private company like Canonical is more "pure" than programmers writing programs for a publicly traded company like Microsoft or Novell or IBM?

Oh wait ... open source programmers regularly write programs for the benefit of companies like IBM or Novell.